Improvement in grain-steaming apparatus



y W. B. FISHER, Improvement in Grain-Stea-ming Apparatus.

' Wiiwmes.

'UNITED i STATES" @PATENT OFFICEo WILLIAM B. FISHER, OF NEWARK,NEWJERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-STEAMING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N11-'129544, dated July 16,1872.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. FISHER, of Newark, county of Essex, inthe State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements inDevices for Treating Seeds and Grains by Steam; and I do hereby decla-rethat the following specification, taken in connection with the drawingfurnished, is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention consists in a combination of steam-coils provided withnumerous small holes and arranged to form the bottom of an elevated boxor hopper, which is placed above a conical wire screen, inside of whichblasts of cold air are thrown for the purpose of cooling seeds and grainwhich have been previously treated by the direct application of steamthrough the small holes of the coil for the purpose of purifying anddrying the same, being agitated and stirred by propeller-shapedScrapers, and by them thrown through holes at the base of the hopper,passing down over the inclined sides of the screen to be conveyed awayby any convenient means.

Referring to the drawing, Figure l represents my invention with aportion of the sides removed, exhibiting portions of the steamcoils andframe to which the screen is, attached; also the air-pipe and device tospread the blast of air. Fig. 2 represents a top view of the same.

A is a base of any suitable material to support the conical screen B. RR R R are rims forming a frame for strengthening the screen 5 G, ahopper of wood or metal for receiving the seed, grain, or meal D, asection of a shaft, to which are attached propeller-shaped agitators orScrapers; F, a steam coil, provided with small holes, more clearly shownin Fig. 2; H H, gears, through which power is applied to shaft D; K, apipe through which a blast of air is conveyed for cooling the seed,grain, or meal as it passes over the inclined sides of the screen. O isan appliance placed over the expanded mouth of the pipe K to spread theblast of air around the inside of the screen. (See Fig. 1.) M is asteam-pipe connecting with the coil F, through which steam is conveyed,and which is regulated by a stop-cock, N. S is a suitable rim or frame,

forming a base, resting on the top of the screen B, and supporting thesteam-coil, hopper, and journal for the shaft D. V are ports for thedischarged seed, grain, `or meal.

The base, screen, hopper, gearing, Ste., may be made of any suitablematerials, preferring, generally, the use of metal, although the baseand hopper, with portions of the frame-work supporting-the screen, maybe made of wood, if desirable.

For convenience I have exhibited my invention in a round form, yet I amenabled to accomplish the same result if the base, screen, and otherparts of my apparatus should be square or in other forms, or even todischarge the seed, grain, or meal through one or more ports over aninclined one-sided screen.. My object is to apply the steam directlythrough or under the body of grain or seed for the purpose of thoroughlypermeating the same, to sufficiently treat, clean, and dry, and thenpass the same over a screen, from the inside of which escapes a blast ofair, thoroughly drying as well as cooling the seed, grain, or meal,which may be conveyed from its base by elevators or other suitablemeans, where it may be in readiness for packing or storing.

I would remark that a metallic chamber perforated with small holes wouldserve the same purpose as the steam coil, the seed, grain, or meal beingfed upon the same by any convenient means. Steam may be generated iuboilers in the usual manner and conducted through pipes M to the coil.The airblast may be furnished by blowers or other suitable meansconnected to the pipe K.

Having thus described my invention, I do not claim as new a perforatedsteam-coil irrespective of its combinations or arrangement, as in myformer application I claim feeding seed over the inclined surface of aperforated conical steam-coil; but

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates- The combination of a box or hopper, C, with a perforatedsteam-coil, F, forming,` its bottom, stirrers E E, shaft D, outlet V,screen B, blast-pipe K, as an improved apparatus for treating seeds ormeal, substantially'as herein described.

In testimony whereof I have this, the 7th day of May, A. D. 1872,subscribed my name to the foregoing specifications before twosubseribing witnesses.

W. B. FISHER. [L S.] Witnesses:

JOHN DANE, Jr.,

MANUEL M. COOKE.

